FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT

Dear Members and Friends,

Wishing you and yours health and happiness as we move forward in 2025! To quote Eleanor Roosevelt, “With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts”. I hope that every day offers you the strength to move forward with your new thoughts on how to make a difference in your communities.

Please take advantage of these GFWC Learning Gateway Series webinars:

January 27, 2025, at 7 P.M. ET - ESO Beyond the Page, Mystery with a Mission.                              

Join Amazon best-selling and award-winning author, Amy Peele, GFWC Education and Libraries/Health and Wellness Honorary Chairman as she dives into her book “CUT” and how she brought a 35-year career in the transplantation field to the pages. Amy’s Transplant Medical Murder Mystery series is referred to as “mystery with a mission and a side of humor”.                   Register today: https://bit.ly/3AkgYoc

February 5, 2025 @7 P.M. ET – Heart Health Awareness Month    

Jude Mabone, Miss District of Columbia 2023 and GFWC Health and Wellness Honorary Chairman, recounts how her own heart and health scare has brought her to work with the American Heart Association. She will share her life’s journey and the importance of CPR/AED training.          

Register today: https://bit.ly/48Epc7g

February 11, 2025 @7 P.M. ET – The Role Storytelling Plays in Advancing a Brand and Building Membership

Leslie Capps, Founder Wild Women Marketing and GFWC Communications Honorary Chairman  Personal Connections are the key to building membership. We will delve into how using your GFWC volunteer story as a marketing strategy will gain local recognition and increase membership numbers.         Register today: https://bit.ly/3UI3Srs

Please share the information on the GFWC Learning Gateway Series webinars with your members!

Yours in Federation and Love,

Sonya

REMINDER

2025 CONVENTION PROGRAM ADS are DUE BY FEBRUARY BOARD MEETING

To see the details and more information, click HERE

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT & OUTREACH – ANNE COCHRANE, Chair



This was my final 2024 insert for celebrating support for our veterans, supporting our local communities, raising awareness for our seniors and this was a might grand year as we toppled the National Food Insecurities! We have been meeting our goals and even beyond.

I am very proud to be a part of CFWC and GFWC and I have no bounds for what is going to happen in 2025. 

Thank you all for Participating in Civic Engagement opportunities. It's what makes us stronger together.

Cheers to 2025 Let's bring in the New Year Brightly!

EDUCATION & LIBRARIES - KAY MASONBRINK, Chair

It’s a new year and with that comes a bevy of new state laws that went into effect January 1. Some of these bills directly affect education in California and some are more controversial than others. The one you will likely continue to hear about the most is Assembly Bill 1955. This new law forbids California school boards from requiring school staff, including teachers, to notify parents if they believe a child is transgender without the child’s consent. It nulls any existing school board policies that are not consistent with the bill’s provisions and applies to all grade levels, pre-school through 12th grade regardless of age. You can be sure that the federal court battle over AB1955 will create a national debate about parental rights, religious liberty and LGBTQ+ inclusion.

Also taking effect is AB1821 which requires that California tribes be consulted with to develop curriculum that includes the treatment and perspectives of Native Americans during the Spanish colonization and Gold Rush eras. Another new law, AB1805, requires California to update its history-social science curriculum to include the landmark case of Mendez vs. Westminster School District of Orange County to be more inclusive about desegregation. And the last one I want to point out is AB1815 which makes it more difficult to discriminate against people of color, including students, based on their hairstyle. This legislation extends the issue into amateur sports organizations.  Now we wait and see what the next legislative session brings us. 

ART AND CULTURE - KELLY DAVIS, Chair

What is Art?

Art is the expression of ideas and emotions through a physical medium, like painting, sculpture, film, dance, writing, photography, or the theatre.

What is the definition of Culture?

Culture is a concept that encompasses the social Behavior, institutions and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, and laws.

How have the California Woman’s Clubs responded to Art and Culture?

California Clubs have sponsored Music Competitions, Book Clubs, High School Art, Photography and Digital Art Students, and have paid for instruments.

Clubs have supplied Professional artists to judge the entry pieces of painting, photography, music, high school choirs and creative art. They have also supplied quilts to Israel, donated Cloth Bags containing toys, blankets etc. to children that are in police stations or hospitals.

It will be great to hear about what Art and Culture projects the clubs have planned for the New Year.  

ENVIRONMENT - NANCY B. JONES, Chair

Sustainability is all about thinking before you buy. Cindi Tosczak (Woman’s Club of Vista) shared with us:   “I use Earth Breeze laundry detergent sheets; in addition to eliminating detergent jugs they support numerous environmental causes. Instead of buying more spray bottles for hand soap, cleaners etc. I get larger refills, which reduces packaging and is cost-effective. If possible I get concentrated refills as I already have water. We do buy bottled water but make sure to take all empties to the recycling depot. And I use cloth napkins and hand towels instead of paper.”

Be sure to share YOUR sustainability habit or questions with farmerjonesavbg@gmail.com . Plant your sustainability sunflowers in the spring and send reports when they grow successfully! We look forward to reading all of your narratives! Be sure to write up your club activities and projects for Environment including your Penny Pines donations. 

Be sure to share YOUR sustainability habit with farmerjonesavbg@gmail.com.



HEALTH & WELLNESS - PATSY WILSON, Chair

Everyone who has something that they consider valuable wants to make sure that it has a home after we depart this world. Precious jewelry, a grandfather clock passed on through generations or you are lucky and have investments in money and property. Having a will or trust is always a promising idea, but here are things that Trustors need to know when creating their final wishes.

When people become elderly, they want to believe in the best in their children. We hope they are there to support us and do what is in our best interest. We do not want to believe that people would do harm to us, but sometimes our loved ones have a conflict of interest when large assets are involved. You may not know when a child or family member is deceiving you. They may be doing it to obtain advantages or obtain more than what you intended.

The legal definition of elder abuse includes anyone age 60 and over. If you harm someone financially, emotionally, or physically, you could describe that action as “Elder Abuse.” People who are trusted with the care of others have a higher responsibility to be sure that they are not committing elder abuse.

There is more. To read the entire article, click HERE

Just a thought ......

“Those that bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves."

- James Matthew Barrie